Cutting knife support



Nov. 2, 1943. A. F. SHIELDS CUTTING KNIFE SUPPORT Original Filed Feb. 10 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lgvzwiog BY 1 a i i ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1943. F, SHIELDS 2,333,127

CUTTING KNIFE SUPPORT Original Filed Feb. l0, 1940 2 Shgets-SheetZ INVENTOR aflwtflm ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1943 AIbert- F."-Shields,5Jamaica, N. Y., assignor to -;S.?& *S. Corrugated Paper Machinery 00., Inc., aBrook-lymN. acorporation 0t New-5501' "Original application'February 10, 1940, Serial No. 318,253. 1. -D ivideid '--an-d this application May -3, 194;;S'eflfl1'NOJ-391,703

This lnveiitlorf' is a"d-ivislon 0f my application, Serial No. 3 181293, filed February l0, '-*1940,-and relates to cutting knife "mechanisms and more particularly to supports therefor; including supports for mechanism operabletherewith.

'ln the manufacture of "corrugated sheet ma- "terial; it isfrequently necessary to cutsucir "sheet material"into predetermined --sections--of stand "ard length. ismcst frequently done as the 'corrugatewweb comes from the-machines vvl zich manufacture the" same, the web ,ld from these machines being cut to' the properwidth.

It "is customary thereforeto place the cutting machine at the terminus of-"thecorrugated web manufacturing line -so that "the end product of the entire manufacturing *processis a-'series'--of corrugated sheets of "predetermined "standard length. Thec'utting machines for this p'urpose are complicated andhteavywhih nevertheless're- "quiring delicacy of'"adjustm'ent. "'Thus,'-for""instance. the same machine-with the same cutting "knives may, by simple adjustmentsfsuch"as that shown in applications Nos. 320,47 ljifiled February' 2.4, 1940,"afid318;294 fild Fbruary 1D, 19 10,

whichare assig'nedtd theassigneeofthis-application, jbe arranged to cut sheets of varying lengths without interferingwith or slowingdown "or changing the speedbf movement of the corrug'ated web as it 'c'omesfrom the prior manufac- *tu'rlng processes.

"'That is; a machine'which'iscutting Sheets 1207 in lengthmayby asimple adjustmentbe changed to "cutsheetsof"90'.;60", 30""or any"otherdimension. In all "cases, the cutting knives are driven primarily. through a Reeves drive "mechani'smlwhlch' varies the averagespeed"of rotation er theicutting kn'ifewith respect to the'corrugated web. soas toprdduce a cutting operation at-a selected interval for-the purpose of producing a -sheet' of the selected length. 'And,"in'addition "andw'orking" with the Reevesdriveor adjustable the" same time as the Reeves drive, either automatically or manually; bther i apparatus adds a cyclic "variation 'in "thespeed" ofro'tation of the cutting knives so thatwhatever the average speed of rotation thereof, the cutting knives willbe travelingat the speed of the""'web during the "actual cutting.

Since the ifte'e'iveslirive' itself andthe various adjustments and the drums or sha'fts carrying the cutting knives arecontinuou'slyrotating and 'lfrequently being' varied in their" adjustments and since the'cutting"knivesthemselves' and all of the v -"rest of "themachineryincludlngthReeves"drive is periodically subjectedto increased strain-When the-knives pass through th corrugated web,- the machine itself must be "stur'dily and rigidly' constructed and a-ll parts thereof should as faras possible be interbraced and rlg-idified.

'Heretofore, in cutting machines of this type,-the elements thereof have to a greatextent been separated 0r dispersed. 'Thus the Reeves drive whi'ch transmits power to the rotating cutting' kn'lves,

and which issubjected to the *greatestistresses,

being-driven at one end from the 'power so'urce tion and the periodic load ofthe passing of' the "knife through the sheet) has -a1ways been not somuch a part of the machine integrated and unitary therewith, but rather an attachment thereto. to be placedin any desired {position-with respect thereto as space requirement-provided. Also the input drivingmechanism such' as gears or chainstand other appaiatushav hitherto been separately housed ordetached from of themachine in some way. p

Thevibration entailed in'the operation-0f the machine and theheavy periodic loads have frethe main body "'quently caused minor disarrangements oi the "Reeves drive-and interrelated mechanism which,

while -not serious in themselves,- nevertheless hasten the wear of the entire machine and-. als'o caused continued inconvenience in that frequent readjustments were necessary.

A' principal ohiect'of thisinvention therefore is to integrate the entire assembly necessaryfor the cutting of the continuously trave1ing corruatedweb. That is. to combine ina single'un'itary apparatus, which is interbraced,- rnents necessary for the'operation.

an of the ele- -A" further object of this invention is' to arrange the fRe'eves drive so th'at'it may be mounted with- 'in"the'apparatus itself and so that itmayl belprotected by its mounting therein and be soarra'nged that vibratory forces and periodic changesi ith load canhave no effect on'the-eidjustment or arrangement thereof.

Further objects of this inventionfil'e to "cross bra'ce and interbrace the entireapparatusalong its outer surface in such a way that' it''presents the appearance ofa single unitary structuregthe "parts thereof being accessible for adjustment'and repair but the entire apparatus havingineverthe- 'lessa completed and finished-appearancelandbeing protected.

Further objects and uses ofthis inventionawill in part be apparent and in part :pointed: out in the following descriptiona'nd drawings-fin which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective:of a simplex lines in housing 43, Figure 3.

cutting machine made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3, I have here shown a simplex cutting machine comprising cutting knives l and II respectively mounted on shafts I2 and I3 to interengage with each other once during each revolution of shaft l2 and 13 in order to sever the corrugated sheet material pass ing therethrough.

Referring specifically to Figure 2, the web of sheet material when it is received from the prior manufacturing processes may be fed by the conveyor belt l8 into and between the shafts l2 and [3 on to the platform or bed IS. The forward edge of the web, as it is thrust forward, passes between the feed rollers and 2| which continue to carry it forward onto the bed 22. The cutting knives l0 and H are arranged to cut the web material at any selected interval after the forward edge thereof has passed between the feed rollers 2!! and 2!.

r The sheet after it has been cut by theknives Hl and l l nevertheless remains under the influence of feed rollers 20 and 2| and is forced forward on thebed 22 where it may be manually removed or the bed 22 may be so short that the forward rollers 20 and 2| may feed the cut sheet so that its center of gravity extends beyond the edgeof the bed 22 so that it may fall off when it has left the feed rollers thus leaving the bed free for ,thejnext sheet.

'As is-seen-in Figures 1 and 3, power is transmitted from the power shaft 29 through the bevel gears-3U and 3| to the shaft 32 which opcrates one of the members 355 of the Reeves drive 3'1. This Reeves drive 3? through the shaft 38 and appropriate gearing and connecting mechanism contained in the housing 23 operates one of the cutting knife assemblies, for instance,

knives-H! and H.

Other mechanism such as that shown in pat- 811135 and; applications above mentioned for varying the adjustments of the cutting knives, for

varying the adjustments of the Reeves drive, and

,for integrating the adjustments of the Reeves shaft being parallelto but rotatable aboutshaft 38, a crank on the shaft, a crank on one of the knife drums and a link interconnecting the cranks, all as shown in Patent No. 2,202,872, issued June 4, 1940. Housing 39 may contain the gears interconnecting the driven knife drum shaft with the other knife drum shaft so that the two drums aredriven together also as shown 'in Patent No. 2,202,872. The driving mechanism from the Reeves drive to the knife drums is housed in housing 43. Shaft 32 is extended to housing 33 to provide additional support for the .shaft and also to make possible a power connection from an outside power source to shaft 32 at :the end thereof in housing 39,-the power connection being similar to that shown in dotted This last arrangement is provided to make, the machine adaptable in its alignment with other apparatus in which the exact optimum, location of the power source with respect to the machine cannot always be foreseen.

These members are not shown since they are not necessary to the present disclosure, it being sufiicient to point out that the Reeves drive is connected to and is part of the power chain operating the cutting knives. Instead of mounting the Reeves drive as an attachment to the machine or outside the machine or in any intermediate relation to the present machine, the Reeves drive of the present invention has been made an integral part of the machine itself encased within the covering of the machine and supported on bracing structures which themselves form part of the machine.

Thus the housings 39 and 63 which house the associated mechanism are themselves supported on base 46, being riveted, welded or otherwise securely affixed thereto in any suitable manner.

Also the main driving gears 39 and M, to-

gether with their respective shafts and supporting bearings are seen to be housed completely within the main housing where they run in the same oil bath with the housing gears.

The base 46 comprises a platform 4? (Figure 2) carrying Supporting flanges 48 and 59' cast or integral therewith.

Brace 5% comprises main portionfil and base portion '52 and is securely attached to the platform 5'! by bolts or rivets 53 passing through said base flange 52. Thebrace 5! also comprises integral lateral flanges 55 and 59 (Figure 3) which are by means of bolts 56 and 6t securely attached to the housings 33 and 33.

Top brace IE0 is a flanged member which may by bolts I3! passing through flanges ill and l l I be connected between the housings along the top of the apparatus.- I

The brace therefore securely integrates the housings 43 and 39spacing them rigidly and even assisting in binding them to their base.

A similar brace 5'1 (Figures 1, 2 and 3) constitutes the entire opposite side of the machine and comprises a principal member 58 also having lateral flanges which are bolted securely by bolts 56 to the end pillars 39 and t3. This brace 51 also has bottom flange 63 which is bolted securely by bolts or rivets M to the base 41.

In this manner by means of braces 553 and 57, the housings 39 and 33 are combined into a single unitary entity efficiently cross-braced to prevent any shifting or vibration of any part of the mechanism relative to any other part. Each brace 53 and 5'! may, if desired, have openings therein covered by removable members to provide for ready access to the interior of the member for adjustment, cleaning, repair or other purposes.

Each brace 50 and 51 has L-shaped protrusions 61, 61 therefrom preferably integral with the associated brace and extending into the interior of the machine (see Figures 2 and 3).

Cross-bracing member 69is mounted between the pair of L-shaped members 61, being secured thereto by means of bolts ll passing through the respective associated flanges of the member 69 and the member 61. This serves further to rigidly interbrace and cross-brace the entire mechamsm.

The Reeves drive 37 is mounted Within this rigidly cross-braced and interbracedframe. As will be seen, the shafts 38 and 32 of Reeves drive 37 are effectively supported between the crossbrace 63 and the housing 43.

In this manner, the Reeves drive is made an integral part of the mechanism, is rigidly mounted within an interbracing, rigidifying framework of the mechanism, is no longer an appendage to the mechanism but an essential and integral part thereof.

The Reeves drive cannot shift with respect to the mechanism by reason of its rigid and braced support, is no longer subjected to the various disadjustments which arise from uninhibited vibration, and is rigidly held in such manner that it cannot shift or become disadjusted by reason of the variations in loads imposed thereon.

The essential element, therefore, of this invention is the cross-bracing and interbracing of the entire machine, the mounting of the Reeves drive, power and input drive mechanisms not as appendages to the machine but as integral parts of the machine, the cross-bracing and support of the Reeves drive in the machine and the improvement in the appearance of the machine by means of the cross-bracing forming the outer walls of the machine and interbracing which presents a mechanism having a solid complete unitary appearance and on in which the various portions and mechanisms thereof are fully protected.

While I have shown in the foregoing description, a simplex cutting machine comprising one pair of cutting knives and suitable apparatus therefor, it will be obvious that the present invention may readily be utilized in a duplex cutting machine in the manner shown in my application Serial No. 318,293, filed February 10, 1940. Other means of bracing and arranging the various portions of the apparatus in the manner herein described will now be clear to those skilled in the art and I therefore prefer to be limited not by the disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for cutting successive sheets from a continuous web, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotating cutting knives and means for adjusting the speed of rotation thereof, said cutting knives being mounted between end housings of said apparatus and said adjusting means including a Reeves drive, a power connection from a power source to said Reeves drive anda power connection from the Reeves drive to said cutting knives, a front brace between said end housings, said brace substantially enclosing the front of the apparatus, a rear brace between said end housings, said rear brace substantially enclosing the rear of the apparatus, a cross brace extending between said front and rear braces and comprising a support for one side of the Reeves drive within the apparatus, the opposite side of said Reeves drive being supported in an end housing, openings in said front brace for access to the interior of said apparatus and covers for said openings, said covers when in place upon said brace presenting a substantially flush appearance with the front of the apparatus.

2. An apparatus for cutting successive sheets from a continuous web, said apparatus comprising a pair of rotating cutting knives and means for adjusting the speed of rotation thereof, said cutting knives being mounted between end housings of said apparatus and said adjusting means including aReeves drive,a power connection from a power source to said Reeves drive and a power connection from the Reeves drive to said cutting knives, said power connection being housed in an end housing, a front brace between said end housings, said brace substantially enclosing the front of the apparatus, a rear brace between said end housings, said rear brace substantially enclosing the rear of the apparatus, a cross brace extending between said front and rear braces and comprising a support for one side of the Reeves drive within the apparatus, the opposite side of said Reeves drive being supported in an end housing, openings in said front brace for access to the interior of said apparatus and covers for said openings, said covers when in place upon said brace presenting a substantially flush appearance with the front of the apparatus.

ALBERT F. SHIELDS. 

